JoeF

Coach - Charlie Spoonhour in 17 seasons as a Division I head coach, has earned an impressive career mark of 340-182 (.651). He has a history of improving struggling programs and is a good recruiter. He seems to have fixed the mess at UNLV and has the program headed up.

Key Losses
Lou Kelly - Kelly averaged 27.7 MPG, 15.6 PPG(#9), 4.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, 36.3 3pt% and 80.5 FT% in 32 games.
Chris Richardson - Richardson averaged 29.2 MPG, 9.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG(#9), 56.5 FG%(#1) and 36.0 3pt% in 32 games.
Jevon Banks - Banks averaged 19.0 MPG, 6.1 PPG, and 2.3 APG in 29 games.
Vince Booker - Booker averaged 28.4 MPG, 4.9 PPG, 2.2 APG, 39.7 3pt% and 72.4 FT% in 32 games.

Key Returning Players
Dalron Johnson, 6-10 215 1st team all conference forward. Johnson averaged 31.5 MPG 17.4 PPG(#2), 7.0 RPG(#6), 1.66 SPG(#3), 1.62 BPG(#1), 46.6 FG%, 32.2 3pt% and 85.8(#3) FT% in 32 games. He should have been second to Randy Holcomb in POY voting. The slight in POY voting may motivate Johnson. I would say he is the favorite for POY this year. He needs to post more and improve the FG% to mid 50s.

Marcus Banks, 6-2 200 senior 2nd team all conference guard. Banks averaged 32.5 MPG, 15.8 PPG(#6), 3.3 RPG, 3.03 APG(#9), 2.16 SPG(#1), 47.0 FG%, 32.0 3pt%, and 70.4 FT% in 31 games. He needs to cut down on turnovers. Last year his assist/turnover ratio was 0.95.

Other Returning Players
Louis Amundson, 6-8 205 a sophomore forward. Amundson averaged who played averaging 10.5 MPG, 2.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 50.0 FG% in 30 games as freshman last year.

Omari Pearson, 6-9 220 junior forward. Pearson averaged 13.8 MPG, 3.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 52.9 FG% in 32 games.

Lamar Bigby, 6-5 185 senior guard/forward. He averaged 7.1 MPG, 2.5 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 36.4 3pt% and 75.0 FT%. He has the ability to and needs to step up and take up some of the scoring and rebounding load Kelly provided last year. As a sophomore 99-00 at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich averaged 17.5 PPG, 6 RPG, and 4 APG and posted the first ever triple-double in Schoolcraft history in the state playoffs with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. As a freshman he averaged 16.3 PPG and 5.5 RPG, had a career-best 38 points (made 7 3-pointers).

Jermaine Lewis, 6-4 200 senior guard. Lewis sat out 01-02 season as a medical redshirt after having surgery to repair a torn right ACL. In 00-01 he averaged 9.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 41.0 FG% and 35.3 3pt% in 26 games. He scored in double figures 10 times and had double figures in rebounding once. he was named MWC player of the week Jan 29, 2001. At Kilgore (Texas) Junior College in 99-00 he averaged 26.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 47.0 FG% 37.1 3pt% and 2.5 SPG and a second team All-America.

Ernest Turner, 6-2 195 sophomore guard. Turner averaged 6.3 MPG, 2.2 PPG and 42.1 3pt%. In 00-01 at Sterling HS in Somerdale, N.J. averaged 28 PPG and 7 RPG and was first team all-state.

Jon Knoche, 5-9 165 senior guard. Knoche played sparily. He got 5 minutes in 2 games and made his only shot, a 3 pointer.

Key newcomers
Demetrius Hunter, 6-2 210 junior guard who sat out last year as a redshirt after transferring from Georgetown. At Georgetown as a freshman averaged 22.5 MPG and 6.0 PPG. As a Sophomore started all 33 and averaged 9.2 PPG, shot 43% from the field and 38.9% from 3pt.

J.K. Edwards, 6-8 250 junior center who transferred from Indian Hills Community College. As a freshman was a first team All-America averaging 12.8 PPG and 6.4 RPG. As a sophomore he averaged 11.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG.

James Peters, 6-8 215 junior forward who transferred from Butler County Community College. As a freshman averaged 14.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG and shot 59% from the floor. As a sophomore averaged 16.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 1.4 BPG

Other Newcomers
Jon Osborne, 6-1 170 true freshman guard. He was a honorable mention all-state 2002 when averaged 10 PPG, 5 RPG and 4 APG.

Mike Paulos, 6-0 150 true freshman guard. Paulos did not play basketball his senior year because of a knee injury. As a junior he averaged 20 PPG, 5.5 APG and 3 RPG and was a first team all-state and rated the best 2A player in Nevada.

Odartey Blankson, 6-7 225 junior forward who transferred from Marquette. He has to sit out(redshirt?) the 02-03 season as a transfer. He averaged 8.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 47.2 FG% in 29 games. He was a Conference USA Player of the Week after totaling 35 points and 21 rebounds in wins over Louisville and Saint Louis. He had 11 double-figure scoring games and four double-figure rebounding games. He was on the Conference USA All-Freshman Team in 00-01. he averaged 5.5 RPG, #1 on Marquette, in 29 games.

Conclusions
They lost a lot of experienced players but they return their top two players and have lots of talent. Like SDSU and UNM they could use some depth and/or experience up front. They will need some of the other players to step up to win the MWC. Johnson and Banks can keep them close to the top of the MWC but will need help. Both are 1st team All Conference and POY candidates. I expect them to finish 4th and at least go to the NIT and I think the NCAA tournament is definitely a good possibility.

JoeF

Marcus Banks has a foot condition called cessmoiditis. It causes extreme pain in his big toe. A doctor recommended surgery previously but Banks plays through the pain. The amazing thing is it seems that it hasn't affected his game.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sports/un...all/index.html